The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said on Wednesday members of the National Cooperative Test (NCT) have approved more than 20 inbred and hybrid varieties of rice developed by public-and-private breeding institutions.
Of the newly released varieties, one hybrid—NSIC Rc368H or Mestiso 55—and two inbreds—NSIC Rc354 or Tubigan 28 and NSIC Rc358 Tubigan 30—were developed by PhilRice.
According to PhilRice, Mestiso 55 has a maximum yield of 10 tons per hectare (t/ha). It has 18.9-percent amylose content, 7.33 millimeters (mm) by 3.3 mm grain, 70.4-percent milling recovery, and 52.2-percent (Grade 1) head rice recovery, resulting in “very good” grains and eating quality.
Meanwhile, PhilRice said Tubigan 28 takes only 112 days to mature, with higher resistance to common rice pest and diseases, such as bacterial-leaf blight, blast, green-leafhopper, white stemborer and yellow stemborer. It has an average yield of 5.3 t/ha across season and 5 t/ha in wet seasons.
Tubigan 30 has an average maximum yield of 9t/h. It is early-maturing at 114 days, with an amylose content of 19.7 percent, with long (6.8 mm) and slender grain (3.2 mm); milling recovery of 72.4 percent, 78.6 percent fair-brown rice and head rice recovery of 54.6 percent (Grade 1). The PhilRice-bred varieties are recommended to be planted in irrigated lowland areas.
According to Dr. Norvie Manigbas, head of the PhilRice Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Division, the newly released varieties are location-specific.
“This means that the yield and other major characteristics of each of the varieties are fully expressed in a particular location; thus, better performance,” Manigbas said in a statement.
NCT is a nationwide testing scheme that identifies superior varieties that confers resistance to current insect and disease problems, climatic stresses and new-market demands. It is the last postbreeding stage before a rice line is approved for commercial cultivation.
Other varieties approved by NCT were developed by the International Rice Research Institute and private companies such as Syngenta, Bioseed, Advanta and Long Ping.